Creating Numeracy Questions in Madurese Traditional Games Context: A Primary School Teachers’ Perspective

In the 21st century, numeracy is a key competency that students must develop to meet global challenges. However, Indonesian students' numeracy levels remain low, particularly due to the limited implementation of numeracy education in schools, especially in rural areas. Moreover, approaches such as ethnomathematics, which integrate mathematics with local culture, are rarely applied. This qualitative descriptive study aims to explore primary school teachers’ perspectives of numeracy within the context of traditional Madurese games. Data were collected using questionnaires, a problem-posing test, and interview guidelines. The questionnaire examined teachers’ initial understanding of numeracy and ethnomathematics, the problem-posing test provided insights into their perspectives on designing numeracy questions using cultural contexts, and interviews supported data triangulation. Participants included Year 4, 5, and 6 teachers from both urban and rural primary schools in Madura, Indonesia. This study found that although primary school teachers recognise the value of traditional Madurese games, such as Engklek (hopscotch), in enhancing students’ mathematical thinking, the integration of these cultural tools into numeracy instruction remains limited, as evidenced by the lack of concrete instructional practices and resources observed in classroom settings, which is attributed to insufficient pedagogical training.